NATO, EU pledge support to Czechia after proof of Russian cyberattacks

Czechia’s National Office for Cyber and Information Security (NÚKIB) Director Lukáš Kintr announced today the Russian-controlled APT28 group, which foreign experts say is backed by the Russian government, is responsible for recent cyberattacks against Czech state institutions. The finding has prompted NATO and the EU to strongly condemn the attacks, pledging solidarity with Czechia.

APT28 has recently attempted a string of cyberattacks against Czechia by exploiting a previously unknown vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook. Some attacks came in the past week, with Czech authorities saying they were detected and solved quickly.

The Czech Foreign Ministry also confirmed that the Russian military intelligence service GRU is involved in these activities. Kintr said: "It is necessary to send a clear signal not only to Russia but also to other potential attackers that cyberattacks against the Czech Republic are completely unacceptable." 

NATO expressed deep concern about the growing number of Russian cyberattacks. In a statement made today, it wrote: "We strongly condemn malicious cyber activities intended to undermine our democratic institutions, national security, and free society." It noted that APT28 was attacking other EU countries simultaneously. 

The EU also condemned the attacks, with EU diplomatic service chief Josep Borrell stating that the bloc would not “tolerate such malicious behavior,” particularly activities that aim to degrade the EU’s “critical infrastructure, weaken societal cohesion, and influence democratic processes."

Both the EU and NATO have acknowledged the importance of stronger measures to protect against cyber threats and to hold accountable those responsible for such attacks.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský reaffirmed the Czech Republic's stance, stating: "Russia's deliberate attacks are aimed at seriously threatening Czechia's security and stability." He also said that Germany “reached the same conclusions” as Czechia when it came to finding out the perpetrator of the country’s cyberattacks.

In the past 18 months, hackers have targeted major bank ČSOB, Czech Television webpages, the Czech News Agency's website, the online servers of Czech Radio, and the Ministry of Interior and Czech Post websites.

In October, another pro-Russian hacking group, NoName057, led a coordinated attack against the websites of the police force, Prague Airport, and the lower and upper houses of parliament this morning. Last year saw a two-fold increase in cyberattacks compared to 2022.